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Reference Type The Age newspaper
Title Last to leave, turn out the...
Author(s)Gabriella Coslovich
State Unknown
Country Unknown
Publication Date 21-08-2005
Citation Date
Page Number n.p.
Comments Gabriella Coslovich’s “Last to leave, turn out the…” imparts an inherent correlation between a “14 per cent fall in box office takings” (first half of 2005), the ‘Lumiere Cinema’s’ closure, and a proliferation of “home entertainment systems and cheap DVD Players” / “the earlier release of films on DVD.” Many of Coslovich’s interviewees comment on this proliferation/connection. For instance Geoffrey Williams comments (on the Australian ‘cinematic landscape’) as to whether it is “enough to sit at home in front of… plasma screens with DVDs?” and Cate Blanchett comments that “lounging around at home watching DVDs is no substitute for the communal experience of watching a film on the big screen.” In this way, whilst Coslovich’s article is inquisitive and non-conclusive, multiple references to an apparent impact of home theatre and DVD implies a direct relationship between the article’s topic (the closure of the ‘Lumiere’) and what might be described as an increasingly prevalent ‘home-cinema’ culture. Most notably, Australian director Rowan Woods comments “my greatest fear is that across the board our film culture seems to be slipping away…Nothing replaces the darkened space of the cinema. Not your f*** off 100-inch digital screen, nor your DVD player. Nothing.”
Synopsis Gabriella Coslovich’s “Last to leave, turn out the…” examines the recent closure (as of 21st August, 2005) of Melbourne’s ‘Lumiere Cinema’ (Lonsdale Street, Melbourne) following a ‘relatively short’ lifespan of twelve years. Coslovich describes the ‘Lumiere’ as an ‘art house institution’, highlighting Paul Coulter’s (operator of the ‘Lumiere Cinema’) ‘daring’ programming; often consisting of largely independent and ‘risky’ art-house films. Gabriella Coslovich highlights the cultural impact stemming from the ‘Lumiere’s’ closure; as to whether “its demise (the ‘Lumiere Cinema’) [was] inevitable, or [whether] it is indicative of a broader malaise within the art-house market.” Interviewing prominent Australian cinematic personalities; most notably Cate Blanchett; Coslovich contends in “Last to leave, turn out the…” that should Australian audiences continue to not support art-house cinemas that “our cultural life will be the poorer.” Similarly, Blanchett is quoted as stating “if we lose this access to cutting edge ‘art-house’ material, how can we claim a diverse, broad, thriving culture?” Towards this end, Coslovich interviews related cinematic professionals including Melbourne film critic Paul Harris, cinema consultant Andrew Pannel, ‘Cinema Nova’s’ Natalie Miller, head of ‘Dendy Cinemas’, Mark Safarty, the ‘Australian Film Institute’s’ Geoffrey Williams and the ‘Astor Cinema’s’ George Florence. Coslovich also briefly examines the impact of the technological uprising that is occuring in our society and reflects on the forecloser possible for other art house cinemas. Again Coslovich reflects on the support needed for these cinemas as they are an integral part of our society ( melissa kristina priestley )
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